


Falling for Her

by Mouse9



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Day One, Gen, How We Met, Molly Hooper Appreciation, Why Do Fools Fall In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-17 01:16:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13648368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mouse9/pseuds/Mouse9
Summary: The first time Tom sees Molly Hooper, he wants to impress her.  Unfortunately, life has other plans.





	Falling for Her

He’d been set up.

He knew it the minute he spotted her bright orange jumper and big flowery skirt, her brown hair falling around her shoulders in waves.   She wasn’t jaw dropping gorgeous in the way that some women were, easily walking down the street, looking like the everyman’s wet dream come to life, rather she had that classic, quiet beauty.  The type of beauty that women like her were so wholly unaware of and made it easy for men like him to stare at her without making it overtly creepy. 

He was only supposed to meet friends for drinks.  At least, that’s what they told him.  From the way she was behaving, the half-lifted wine glass as she was grinning over something one of her friends was saying, they hadn’t told her about the set up either.   She laughed as he crossed the road, her head thrown back, neck stretched before her free hand lifted to cover her mouth and his heart skipped a beat.  She was utterly beautiful, and he suddenly felt uncomfortable in his jeans and button down.  He’d gone home to change first and now he was wondering if it were better that he showed up in his work clothes.  Women tended to like a tie.

One of his mates, spotted him and called out and everyone turned.  Her laughing gaze met his and she froze, a moment of horrified recognition in her look immediately replaced by a blank relieved stare.  He faltered in his step, wondering who she saw when she first spotted him.  

His stuttered step landed in a wet patch on the pavement and his feet went out from under him.  he could hear the surprised shout of his mates, saw the world tilt so he could only see the cloudy twilight sky and then sharp pain of his entire body connecting hard with the street.

He lay there for a moment, breathing through the pain too embarrassed to try to sit up.  He’d just taken a tumble in front of the pub.  The pub where the barkeeps knew his name.  The pub we frequented on a semi regular basis.  Yep, this was going to follow him for a long time.

He could feel his face burning and wondered if her could just sink in to the pavement.  So much for impressing the new woman with his suave charm.

A shadow fell over him and there she was, her gaze worried, her hands twisting around themselves.

“Are you okay?” she asked worriedly.  “Do we need to call someone?”

He could hear the laughter from his traitorous friends, then Dave came into his vision.

“Way to impress the bird Tom,” he joked, sticking a hand out.  Said “bird” gave Dave a disgusted look as he took the offered hand and hauled himself up. 

“Seemed to hit the only slick spot,” he said, rubbing the back of his head with a wince.  He was going to have a lump tomorrow.

“Are you sure you’re all right?”  the woman asked again.

“My dignity’s taken a bit of a tumble but I’ll live.”

She snorted out a small laugh and he couldn’t help but to smile. 

“I once skated across the floor and took a tumble over a cart with a tray of livers.  Managed to not drop them but my backside was sore for a week.”

He blinked and she colored, slapping a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in shock. 

“Bugger, I’m sorry.”

“Livers?”  he echoed.  She winced. 

“I’m a pathologist at Bart’s.”

“Oh.”  He answered as if it made sense.  It did in an odd way.   “I’m just an accountant.  No livers, I’m afraid.”

Christ, if he could just convince his mouth to shut up before she ran of screaming.  First, the spectacular tumble, then, his no filter talking.  She was going to think he was daft.

To his surprise, she grinned and held out her hand. 

“Molly.”

Luck must have decided to take pity on him, because there was no way under any other circumstances that this awkward and embarrassing introduction would’ve ended on a positive note.  He took her outstretched hand. 

“Tom.”

“Nice to meet you Tom.  Buy you a drink?  It seems your friends know my friends.  I think we might have been ambushed.”

As he followed her towards the table, already a little in love, Tom swore that years from now, this would be the embarrassing story he told their children.

 

 

 


End file.
